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Eight-time defending champions Excelsior High have booked their spot in the final of the ISSA TIP Friendly Society Schoolgirl Football competition when they drubbed Garvey Maceo High 5-0 yesterday at Stadium East.

Excelsior will face off against Holmwood Technical for the third year in a row as the latter got the better of Merl Grove 5-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in regulation time.

The Eagles opened the scoring through an own goal from Trishelle Cassandra in the 14th minute, following which, Shauntai Pryce (24th), Jada-Lee Bryan (33rd), Makala Williams (40th+1) and Orania Campbell (55th) all added their names to the scoresheet.

Excelsior was quick off the mark as desperate defending from Garvey Maceo saw Cassandra putting the ball into the back of her own net.

Pryce doubled the lead for the defending champions with a well-struck shot from distance which was quickly followed by their third goal, which Bryan dispatched with ease.

Williams would get her goal just before the half-time whistle as an otherwise tame shot was spilt by Garvey Maceo's custodian Yasheika Mills and ended up in the net.

Young Campbell would turn on the skills in the second half as the 13-year-old bagged perhaps the best goal of the contest, a looping effort that caught Mills off-guard for the game's fifth and final goal.

Theodore Leon, assistant coach for Excelsior High, praised his players for their dominant performance against a team which had defeated them during the pre-season.

"It was very important for us to win today because we have a lot of pressure on us to deliver the title," said Leon.

"Garvey Maceo are a good team and they actually beat us in a preseason tournament so we know their quality and that it is a good feeling to triumph over them," he said.

The final will be played on Wednesday, April 16. Merl Grove and Garvey Maceo will also meet in a third-place play-off match.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com